Chaeles x



- (No Model.)

0. N. TALBOT.

DEVICE FOR SYNGHRONIZING CLOCKS.

Patented Feb. 5, 1884.

N. wzrsna Pbnkrbmognpher, Wnahington. 0. cv

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES N. TALBOT, OF FLUSHIXG, KEV" YORK.

DEVICE FOR SYNCHRONIZING CLOCKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 292,962, dated February5, 1884. Application filed November 26,1883. (X0 model.)

-To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, CI-mnLns N. TALBOT, ofFlush'in g, in the county of Queens and State of New York, have inventedan Improvement in Synchronizing Clocks, of which the following is aspecification.

Efforts have been made to set the hands 1 of clocks by the action of anelectric current and magnet through the agency of levers or fingers; butin cases where the hand may be too fast or too slow, and be beyond thereach of the fingers, the device fails to operate.

My invention relates to the combination, in a clock-movement, of africtional connection between the hand and the clock-movement and amagnetic liberator, by which such clockhand is liberated and assumes thedesired position by gravity. IVhen the liberation takes place at thehalf-hour, the minute-hand simply falls back to its place at VI on thedialif it has passed beyond, or moves forward if it is slow. XVhen theliberation takes place at the hour, the minutehand has to becounterpoised sufficient] y to turn it to XII on the dial.

. In the drawings, Figure 1 is a section representing one of the modesin which my invention can be carried into use, and Fig. 2 rep resentsthe weighted hand.

The shaft to is supported in the frames 1) Z) and rotated by theclock-movement and gearwheel 0. This shaft a is tubular, and within itis the arbor c of the minute-handf. These parts are to be connected byany suitable frictional coupling, and the magnetic liberator disconnectsthe arbor e from the frictional contact with the shaft a by an endwisemovement given to the arbor e. To effect this operation I haverepresented the armature-lever as pivoted at h and acted upon by theelectro magnet 7;. The end of the arbor c is pointed, and bears againstthe jewel or hardened plate 1' upon the armature-lever, and there is ahelical or other spring at Z, to move the arbor 0 toward the lever g andto applythe friction to the parts which cause a and e to move together;but when the electromagnet 7; is energized the armature-lever gives anend movement to the arbor c, compressing the spring Z and libcrating thefrictional device, so that the hand f is free to turn and assume avertical posi tion, either by its own weight bringing it to VI or by acounterpoise bringing it to XII.

It is to be understood that the electro-magnet k is to be energized afew seconds before the time to which the hand is to be set, so thatthere may be time for the hand to cease oscillating; and when theelectric current is interrupted the frictional device rcconnects thehand to the clock at exactly the time denoted by the hand.

I have shown a disk, 0, upon the hollow shaft a, with a beveled edge,and a hollow wheel, 0', upon the arbor c, to form the frictionalcoupling to connect a and o, and to allow for the disconnection by theend motion of c. This wheel 1' may be one of the train I- s ta, thatgives motion to the hour-hand o from the arbor 0, these geaawheels beingprop0rtioned as usual. In this case the two hands will always be movedtogether; but the 1ninute-hand must have sufficient weight and 1e veragenot to be influenced by the hour-hand. Thelatter may be balanced; butwhen the clock is only to be set at twelve oclock both hands may beprovided with a sufficient counterweight to bring them up to XII on thedial.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, with the clock and itshands, of a frictional connection between the minute-hand arbor and theclock-work, and an electro-magnet to liberate the frictional connectionand allow the hand to assume its true position by gravity, substantiallyas set forth.

2. The combination, in a clock, of an arbor, a minute-hand upon thesame, a frictional connection between the arbor and the clock-work, andan electro-Inagnet, and armature-lever to give end motion to the arborand liberate the frictional connection, substantially as set forth.

Signed by me this 2lth day of November, A. l). 1883.

CHARLES X. TALBOT.

Witnesses:

Gno. '1. IIXCKXEY, \VILLIAAI G. Mom.

